‘My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile’ Review: Julia Loktev’s Powerful Documentary Follows Russian Journalists in Exile

Julia Loktev is back with ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile’, the latest installment in her documentary series about independent Russian journalists. This time around, she follows the same journalists from her first film as they rebuild their lives in exile after fleeing Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 355-minute film debuted at the Venice Film Festival and picks up where ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow’ left off. While that first documentary captured the mounting pressure on independent media outlets inside Russia, ‘Exile’ shifts its focus to what comes after escape.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, independent journalists had little time to prepare. Those who worked for outlets like TV Rain made the difficult decision to leave the country with no guarantee of where they’d end up or how they’d keep working.

The film brings back familiar faces like Anna Nemzer, alongside journalists Ksenia Mironova, Valeria Ratnikova and Elena Kostyuchenko. As the story unfolds across multiple countries, new subjects also emerge. But rather than just tracking their physical movements, Loktev digs into the emotional and professional fallout of displacement.

These journalists escaped an increasingly authoritarian state, but leaving Russia doesn’t necessarily mean they feel safe. They’re starting from scratch in unfamiliar places, rebuilding careers while dealing with the reality that many see them simply as Russians rather than Putin opponents.

At nearly six hours long and divided into five chapters, ‘Exile’ is an exceptionally ambitious film that follows its subjects over roughly four years across cities like Tel Aviv, Tbilisi and New York. That runtime isn’t excessive—it’s actually what allows Loktev to move beyond typical political documentary fare.

She lingers on personal relationships, professional setbacks and the everyday realities of living in exile. Rather than functioning as a traditional sequel, the film reads more like an extended portrait of people whose entire lives were upended by political collapse.

At the heart of ‘Exile’ is the struggle to continue doing independent journalism from outside Russia. The journalists featured remain dedicated to covering the war and pushing back against Kremlin propaganda, but their distance from home creates serious problems. They have to report on a country they can’t safely visit, all while facing legal threats and persecution from Russian authorities.

Kostyuchenko’s story stands out particularly. The investigative journalist keeps working despite grave security concerns, while others deal with criminal charges and ongoing threats. The film also captures the psychological weight of following events from thousands of miles away. When Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies, it hits hard a moment that reinforces just how dire things have become back home.

‘Exile’ could easily be a story about victimhood, but Loktev refuses to frame it that way. Her subjects keep moving forward. They start podcasts, write books and find new professional paths. Their situations remain precarious, but their persistence becomes one of the film’s most compelling threads.

This sets it apart from the first film. ‘Last Air in Moscow’ carried the tension of watching authoritarianism tighten its grip. ‘Exile’ takes a step back and asks tougher questions: What happens when you escape but the conflict doesn’t leave you alone? How do you build a life when you’ve lost your home?

‘My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile’ doesn’t simply repeat what came before. Instead, it deepens the conversation around identity, belonging, guilt and what “home” actually means.

These journalists have lost Russia as a place where they can live and work safely, yet they haven’t abandoned their commitment to journalism or democracy. Their experiences force uncomfortable questions about privilege, responsibility and whether their work can still matter from exile.

Loktev’s low-key directing style lets these conversations breathe. The result is a deeply personal documentary that blends political history with intimate character study.

The film premiered at the 2026 Venice Film Festival in the Out of Competition section, with Anna Nemzer serving as co-director alongside Loktev. It’s also heading to the New York Film Festival’s main slate on September 27, 2026, with a planned Q&A featuring Loktev and some of the journalists in the film.

MUBI will bring ‘Exile’ to U.S.